Goodbear @ Pleasance Dome
Goodbear turn up the volume in their third sketch hour, Dougal
Review by Thomas Hamill | 23 Aug 2019
Goodbear make the most out of their tech, Dougal, to bring some fun audio-visual elements to a series of parodical sketches. It's impressively used early on as they deliver back-to-back cinematically inspired sketches that are heavy on audio cues. Joe Barnes and Henry Perryment have a boyish charm to their style and the juxtaposition between their casual exchanges and the tightly choreographed sketches is an enjoyable way to be thrown into the action.
While the audio-visual side of the show is good fun to begin with, its novelty soon wanes. It is used to the same effect more often than not, with dramatic lighting and a soundtrack enhancing what are essentially film parodies. Looking past the production value, the sketches aren't all that satisfying in comedic content.
The duo are good actors; Perryment in particular has a great capacity for physical expression similar to the likes of Ryan Stiles, bringing some ridiculous energy to what are otherwise mundane sketches where well-written gags are left on the sidelines. The rough framework of the show also works well enough to set up the hour of wall-to-wall sketches but as the hour goes on the content become increasingly unsatisfying, and at its worst, boring.
Goodbear: Dougal, Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome), until 25 Aug, 9.40pm, £12-13